Glazier&#39;s tack.



PATENTED MAY 21, 1907v No. 854,263. I

' R. 0. ZEPNIGK.

GLAZIERS TACK.

APPLICATION FILED APBJ. 1905.

flange.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GLAZIERS TACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. May 21, 1907.

Application filed April 1, 1905. Serial No- 258,228.

To rtZZ whom it ntcty concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT C. ZEPNIoK, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, have invented a Glaziers Tack, of which the following is a specifl cation.

My invention. relates to a new kind of tack or point for securing glass in place in panels, but especially intended for use on greenhouses, skylights and the like, where a roof is made of panes of glass lapped one over the other in the manner of shingles, and secured in place on Wooden rails running down the slope of the roof.

The glaziers tacks heretofore in use have many disadvantages; but principally, perhaps, the disadvantage that they present a round or angular surface against the side of the pane, which is very conducive to cracks. It is well known that when an ordinary nail is driven into a sash-rail to hold a glass pane in place therein, a slight jar or pressure against the nail, caused for instance by water freezing under it, will cause a crack to extend itself from the point of contact of the nail across the pane. Many other disadvantages are also inherent in glaziers tacks or points heretofore used for this purpose, such as difficulty of driving, lack of staying or holding power, rusting and the like, all of which are obviated by the use of my device, which is described below. My improved point or tack is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a greenhouse-roof or skylight, showing my improved tack in use. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same on a larger scale. Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively a sectional side elevation and av plan of the tack on a still larger scale, the nail in Fig. 3 being shown in crosssection on the line Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of tack without a Fig. 6 shows a further modification of my device.

In these drawings every reference letter refers always to the same part.

In Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown a portion of a rail a, having rabbet grooves b, in which are laid glass panes c, d, the upper one overlapping the lower as usual. At the lower edge of the pane d is fixed the tack c. This tack, as shown more in detail in Figs. 3 and 4, comprises a small strip f, preferably of nonrusting sheet metal, such as zinc, whose central part is flat and rests upon the glass,

while at one end it has a downturned flange g, and at the other end is bent over upon itself as indicated at h, and has formed on the end thereof, about over the middle of the flat portion, a cylindrical eye 71, which is of just the right size to receive the shank of an ordinary wire nail j, the head 76 of which forms a protecting flange covering the outer end of the eye '6, excluding moisture from reaching the shank within the recess of the eye.

In Fig. 5 is shown a modified form of my device which embodies the same principle, that is to say, a flat abutment-surface anda point in a plane parallel to but lying above the plane of the glass surface, but the flange g is in this case omitted. Said modification comprises a strip of preferably nonrusting sheet metalf having a loop '5 formed in the center thereof to receive the shank of the nail 1'. This form of tack will be found adaptable to securing panes which have no overlap ing edge, as for instance, in ordinary wind owlights, picture frames and the like, and one of them is shown applied at e in Fig. 1, though it would not be ordinarily needed in this position.

To illustrate the numerous modifications of which my invention is capable without departing from the principle thereof, I have shown in Fig. 6 a tack made completely out of a piece of sheet metal having a longitudinal crease m and lateral rectangular bends n, forming flat abutment surfaces 0; the central portion at each side of the crease m is prolonged to form a nail-sha11k p, and cut away obliquely at q to form a point.

Some of the advantages which my glaziers tack has over others heretofore in use are, first, that the nail-portion has parallel sides and cannot work out, as invariably happens with a point or tack having tapering sides; second, that the nail being completely inclosed by the contacting surfaces of the head and the eye i of the stripf, as before described,

no water can reach the shank of the nail, to cause it to rust and rot the wood around the shank, and causing the nail to fall out, which has been. a source of great trouble to greenhouse men in the past; third, that the head or part on which the driving-blow strikes is far enough above the surface of the glass so that it can be easily driven by a suitable tool without danger of cracking the glass and without missing the object struck at; fourth, that the strip f can be set inits final position is driven, whereby the nail is before the nail held straight, and it becomes easy to hold said nail while driving, which is notoriously the same principle will readily suggest themnot the case with most glaziers tacks, which, selves, all of which are intended to be covby reason of the necessity of the driving-tool ered by my claims. striking the finger, cause the operator to have Having thus described my invention, what 5 very sore fingers after a thousand or so of I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let such tacks are driven; fifth, that the head k ters Patent, is: projects around thehead of the eye 0), so that 1. A glaziers tack comprising a nail and it can be readily withdrawn when it is dean abutment-piece having a surface parallel sired to replace a broken pane; sixth, that it thereto and an eye through which said nail to combines in suitable form the strength of a passes.

metal such as the iron or steel of which the 2. A glaziers tack comprising a nail and a nail is made with the nonrust-ing qualities of strip of sheet metal having a tubular eye a metal like zinc; seventh, that it can be through which said nail passes. manufactured at a very small cost; and 3. A glaziers tack comprising a strip of l 5 eighth, that it may be used alternatively as metal having one end bent back upon itself a right or left by simply removing the nail and an eye formed thereon, and a nail pass from the strip f, and inserting it from the op ing through said eye parallel with the surface posite side; all of these advantages being in of the metal strip.

, addition to that forming the main object of 4. A glaziers tack comprising a strip of 2 0 the invention, as hereinabove specified, sheet metal having aneye formed thereon, namely, to provide a flat abutment-surface and a nail passing through said eye parallel against the pane, whereby it is prevented to the plane of the strip and having a head from cracking; and further, that the glass is covering the end of said eye and excluding absolutely prevented from sliding on sloping moisture from the interior thereof.

75 roofs when it is provided with the flange g. 5. A glaziers tack comprising a member By means of my improved tack a very having aflat abutment-surface and a driving great saving can be effected in the average point having its sides parallel and secured to annual cost of repairs on greenhouses, which said member parallel to and offset from said has been caused heretofore by the working surface.

30 loose and falling out of the devices used to 6. A glaziers tack comprising a flat abuthold the glass in place, by the rusting and ment-surface and a driving point substanconsequent rotting of the rails, and by the tially parallel to and having a slidable enbreaking of the glass. The fact that panes gagement with said surface. can be readily replaced when broken, and In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 3 5 that withouthsiubstantial1 injpry to th 1a1rails my hand in presence of two witnesses.

b makin a itiona ho est erein,wi a so cd nduce td a greater economy in the cost of ROBT' ZEPNICK' heating the greenhouses. These advantages l/Vitnesses: will be readily apparent to glaziers, and nu- ROBERT H. RIEDY,

4o merous modifications of my tack embodying H. HAFEMEIsTER. 

